Killing Me Softly

By Isobel Miller

Before you finish that sentence and belt out at the top of your lungs in your very best shower voice “…with his soooooong!” just hold your horses for one second, that’s not the killing me softly I was referring to but rather to the little entity that you can’t see or touch but you know is there. The presence you have felt on several occasions this year and will continue to throughout the rest of your life. No one is immune to its effects, we've all experienced it. I’m talking about that deadly predator, the silent killer known as stress.

In the age we live in, we are busier now than we ever have been at any other period in history. We are experiencing unprecedented stress levels and psychological disorders than we ever have before, heart attacks and strokes are the symptoms of our now lifestyle mixed with stress and yet its not alarmingly uncommon for people in their 20’s and 30’s to be struck by this.

If we are to lengthen and improve the quality of our lives we need to unwind and leave our jobs at work.

Here are some great tips to help you settle at the end of a stressful day.

1. Clear your mind. It’s difficult to wind down when all you can think of is the things you need to do tomorrow. Don’t worry, your work will still be waiting for you when you get there. Focus on the now. The best way to clear your mind is to focus on a stationery object for 5 minutes, the more distracting thoughts try to creep into your head (and they will), focus more intensely on the object until your minds stills itself.

2. Move It. If you’re too wound up after a hard day, get some exercise. Grab your best friend and go for walk, not only does it help to vent to your buddy and offer a change of scenery but endorphins boost your body’s energy levels and creates a sense of euphoria, in other words, it helps you feel fantastic.

3. Breathe. Who would have thought that a dozen purposeful breaths could be so relaxing? This is why smokers think that smoking calms them but in actual fact it’s the way they breathe while smoking that has the calming effect. So find a nice quiet spot and breathe in through the nose, hold for a count of 3 then exhale slowly. Repeat 6 to 12 times.

4. Laugh more. Laugher really is the best medicine. Did you know that recent medical studies have found that good bouts of laughter reduce the risk of heart disease through improved blood flow? There are actual schools in India dedicated to teaching the best laughing methods. They believe its good for the soul and like exercise also produces those “feel good” endorphins, boosts the body’s immunity and to top it off, you feel great. Need a laugh now?, check out www.youtube.com, trust me, there’s never a shortage of weird ‘n whacky things to watch there.

5. Keep a journal. It’s not healthy to harbor pent up anxiety and frustration. Bottling up such intense emotion can have adverse effects on our health. Keeping a journal provides a healthy and safe outlet for your emotions without offending or hurting anyone’s feelings in the process. It also has the added benefit as acting as a record of your progress to see how far you have come over time.

Follow the above tips and you’ll find that you’ll not only sleep better but cope more effectively with your current stress levels and remember to always keep things in perspective, you are bigger than anything that can ever happen to you and as my wise buddy Bobby Mcferrin once said “don’t worry be happy.”